Dancing Lady *** (1933, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Franchot Tone) – Classic Movie Review 5,783

A lovely cast spruces up director Robert Z Leonard’s fizzy 1933 musical romantic comedy film Dancing Lady, with a dancing Joan Crawford choosing between romeos Clark Gable and Franchot Tone, while hoofing it with débuting Fred Astaire (as himself) in Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s specially written number ‘Rhythm of the Day’.

Crawford’s dancer Janie Barlow is rescued from jail by rich playboy Tod Newton (Tone), who helps her to have her first big job in a Broadway musical being directed by Patch Gallagher (Gable).

Robert Benchley and Ted Healy and His Stooges provide some guffaws, and also in the cast are May Robson, Winnie Lightner, Arthur Jarrett, Grant Mitchell, Maynard Holmes, Sterling Holloway, Gloria Foy, Moe Howard, Nelson Eddy (as himself) and Eve Arden in a bit part. When she later supported Crawford in the noir classic Mildred Pierce both won Oscars.

It is the first appearance of the song ‘Everything I Have Is Yours’, re-used used in the 1952 musical film of that title with Marge and Gower Champion. ‘Let’s Go Bavarian’ celebrates the repeal of the 1919 to 1933 prohibition in the US.

Dancing Lady was big box office hit for MGM, possibly in part because of Crawford wearing a spangly bikini in one risqué scene, but also because of the popular star team, plus the guest appearances of Astaire and Eddy as famous Broadway personalities.

It is written by Allen Rivkin and P J Wolfson, based on the novel by James Warner Bellah.

The incredibly popular star team Gable and Crawford re-teamed for Forsaking All Others (1934) and Love on the Run (1936). They made eight films together, starting with Laughing Sinners (1931) and ending with Strange Cargo (1940).

As it is Astaire’s film debut, that makes Crawford his first screen dance partner, and it is also the first time he wore his signature top hat and tails on film.

Crawford and Tone, who were married from 1935 to 1939, made seven films together between 1933 and 1937.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,783

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Movie Queens: Joan Crawford by Graeme Jukes.